A conventional motor grader comprises a frame having a circle drawbar suspended therebelow by a pair of links and attendant support struts. A mold board or blade is mounted beneath the circle drawbar and means are normally provided for lifting, tipping, shifting and rotating the mold board to position it for various grading operations. Various attempts have been made to provide means for side shifting the blade from its normal horizontal disposition at ground level to a generally vertical disposition alongside the frame of the motor grader.
The latter disposition of the blade facilitates side bank cuts and the like to thus substantially increase the overall versatility of the motor grader. To date, the lift and control mechanism employed to effect such shifting of the blade have proved unduly complex and costly to manufacture. In addition, the motor grader frames and attendant structures tend to interfere with such side shifting of the blade to prevent it from being moved substantially vertically.